Being a Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong comes with challenges to make yours stand out. Here are some successful reinterpretations.
To go with Will Leung's new six- (HK$1,288) and eight-course (HK$1,588) tasting menu, 1111 Oneshas roped in cartoonist and multimedia creator Jerry Cho in to illustrate each dish.
"This new menu is based on Hong Kong's daily dishes and food using different ingredients and cooking techniques," said the chef.
"I also hope to take advantage of this collaboration with Jerry to pay homage to the unique art form of Hong Kong comics and its practitioners. The cartoons created for this menu depict aspects of Hong Kong daily life."
Leung is proud of his innovative egg waffle rolls. The popular local snack is filled with curry cauliflower, garlic leek creme fraiche and milk tea custard. Another dish not to be missed is deep-fried soft-shelled lobster, served with "typhoon shelter-style" condiments.
The main course offers a suckling pig trio made with Iberico pork. Inspired by the traditional wedding banquet dish are pork chop rack slow-cooked in vinegar, slow-cooked pork terrine with deep-fried cracklings, and char siu pork jowl glazed with osmanthus honey.
Jade at The Fullerton Hotel embraces the heritage of the Aberdeen fishing village, using locally and regionally sourced sustainable seafood in dishes for its debut menu. "The idea was to connect our food with the neighborhood and its rich history," said executive chef Lai Ching-shing. "Many dishes were inspired by seafood from the nearby fish market, elevated with refined cooking techniques and presentation."
Must-orders include double-boiled fish soup with fish maw and spotted garoupa fillet (HK$238) and baked crab shell stuffed with fresh crab meat and onion (HK$268), topped with a layer of melted cheese.
One of Jade's signature dishes is the steamed Hong Kong heritage minced pork with foie gras and scallop in hot stone (HK$168). Lai reimagines this classic recipe with locally sourced ingredients - the patty is made with Tai Chi pig, a heritage local breed.
At The Chinese Library, executive chef Junno Li brings guests Kingdom Treasures - eight new dishes from Chinese provinces.
Featured in the menu, available until December 9, are an osmanthus honey-glazed ham with pork crackling (HK$98), a modern take on Hangzhou's classic braised ham with honey, prawn cake and crispy chicken skin (HK$168) inspired by Guangzhou's hundred-flower chicken, and prawn noodles and fish maw in pickled sauce (HK$188), reminiscent of Shanghai's drunken prawns.
A signature dish that represents the culmination of Li's culinary experience is the Sichuan-style braised sea cucumber (HK$398). Sea cucumber is deep-fried in a similar manner to tempura, topped with gold leaf and plated on duck liver, pork, bamboo shoot and mushroom with chili oil.
Those who grew up enjoying Shanghai cuisine can look no further than Yong Fu Hong Kong to taste the authentic flavors of Ningbo with Jiangnan cuisine.
Having spent time in Hong Kong, head chef Liu Zhen has a good understanding of local ingredients, leading to bold reinterpretations of local cuisine. The result is Yong Fu's first set lunch: a seven-course dim sum lunch set (HK$428) and a seven-course executive lunch set (HK$798).
For the dim sum menu, guests can try boneless chicken feet served with Ningbo-style pickled cauliflower stems, as well as the chef's signature handmade pork and vegetable dumplings. Savor the steamed meat patty with egg, with the option of steamed rice, and finish off with traditional Ningbo-style glutinous rice dumplings filled with sweet black sesame paste.
The executive lunch set takes guests on a tasting journey with Liu's favorite seasonal dishes from Ningbo. They include yellow croaker fish from Yinzhou, braised boneless pork knuckle with sweetcorn, and a green bean puree dessert with osmanthus honey.
At Jiangsu Club, guests can enjoy the taste of its namesake cuisine. Within the blue walls of the interior, inspired by the iconic Quadrangle Courtyard House in Beijing, as guests can enjoy dishes such as hearty pan-fried pork buns (HK$78 for three), chicken and wonton soup (from HK$580) made with whole three-yellow chicken simmered with Jinhua ham, Napa and Shanghai cabbage.
Don't miss out on the braised prime ribs with brown sauce and 12 flavors (HK$438 for six). American short rib is soaked in a marinade broth overnight and braised for three hours until the meat easily falls off the bone. The farm vegetables with braised pork knuckle (HK$388) is also marinated with a special blend of spices and seasoning before being slow-braised with pickled mustard greens for over two hours.
Finish off with something sweet. The chewy red date pudding (HK$68 for four) is a must-try Jiangsu staple.
